Tuesday, August 16, 2011

An unidentified woman, who turned up for an interview with Selangor Religious Department officials yesterday together with 11 others, before they were provided counselling by the Selangor Mufti Department.

SHAH ALAM: The 12 Muslims involved in the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) saga early this month were yesterday questioned and given counselling at the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais).

A source said the 12 were interviewed by Jais enforcement officers at 9.15am, before they were offered counselling by the Selangor Mufti Department.

As of late afternoon, counselling for some of those involved were still continuing.

It is learnt that Jais director Marzuki Husin and Deputy Selangor Mufti Datuk Abdul Majid Omar were among those present during the meeting.

Also present was a lawyer representing 10 of the 12.

Attempts to get comments from Marzuki on the case were unsuccessful as members of the media, who were waiting outside his office, were turned away by security personnel.

In a brief text message sent by the department's public relations deputy director Nurhamizah Othman, it was reiterated that Jais would only issue a statement once a full report was ready. It was not specified when it would be completed.

On Aug 3, a team of enforcement officers from Jais, assisted by policemen, inspected the DUMC following a tip-off that Muslims were present at a dinner event there.

DUMC said later the dinner had nothing religious in nature but was to celebrate the work of non-profit organisation Harapan Komuniti in helping women, children, HIV/AIDS sufferers and victims of natural disasters.

Following public outcry, Jais was asked to prepare a full report, detailing what actually transpired on that day, to be submitted to Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, who would then seek the advice of the Sultan of Selangor.